Catalog cover binder



April 2, 1963 M. E. FosTl-:R 3,083,714

CATALOG covER BINDER Filed sept. 26. 1960 INVENToR. F: y 2 MEL VJLLE E.POSTER United States Patent O 3,083,714 CATALGG COVER Melville Emisi-yFoster, 16 Thomas Ave. S., hiinneapois, Minn. Fiietl Sept. 25, 1960,Ser. No. 53,300 1 Claim. (Ci. 129-23) This invention relates to catalogcovers. More particularly it relates to catalog covers of the loose leaftyp e Which are very inexpensively manufactured of a semidurablematerial and which are used by many industrial firms to retain up todate information that fluctuates rapidly.

There is a definite need in industry for a catalog cover having asuitable binding Which permits the ready insertion of new sheets orsubstitution of sheets therein and which is manufactured of an unusuallyinexpensive material and yet meets the requirements of the trade in thatit provides a sufliciently sturdy and rigid cover to protect theindividulal Sheets and to preclude undue deformation of the folderduring normal handling. My previous US. Letters Patent No. 2,891,554constitutes a Substantial improvement over such folders as heretoforeknown and it has been Well accepted by the industry. I have found,however, that even this folder which is relatively inexpensive can beimproved upon, simplified, and redesigned to provide a novel andrelatively inexpensive construction which adequately meets the needs ofthe trade. My invention is designed to provide additional advantages andto eliminate a substantial portion of the cost of the construction of acardboard catalog cover.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a novel and improvedcatalog cover which is unusually simple in construction and relativelyinexpensive as compared to catalog covers heretofore known.

VA more specific object is to provide a novel and improved catalog coverbinder which can be manufactured very inexpensively and which performsin an improved manner.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved catalog cover andbinder therefor Which is extremely simple in construction and assemblyand yet highly efficient in function to provide an improved catalogcover Which adequately meets the need of the trade.

Another object is to provide a catalog cover binder Which can bemanufactured separately and can be applied to a simple cover to furnisha highly satisfactory loose leaf cover member.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved catalog cover binderso constructed and arranged to inherently provide and convert a normallyinadequately rigid back member into a rigid back member which adequatelymeets the needs of the trade and substantially strengthens the entirecover.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved catalog cover bindingpost so constructed as to provide increased flexibility in purpose andfunction so as to furnish more desirable holding means for individualsheets to be carried within the catalog cover.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention Will more fullyappear from the following description, made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to thesame or similar parts throughout the several views, and in Which:

FIG. 1 is a prespective view of one embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the binder taken along line 2-2of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the binder also taken along line 2-2 ofFIG. 1.

FIGS. 1-3 show a catalog cover indicated generally by the numeral 5embodying my invention. As shown, the

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catalog cover 5 includes a sheet 6 of semi-rigid material such as thincardboard which is folded over along spaced parallel lines indicated atthe points 7 and 8 into a front cover element 9, a back cover element 10and an intermediate back area 11 extending longitudinally of the cover.The front cover 9' has an inner surface 911 and an outer surface 911 andthe back cover 10 has an inner surface 1011 and an outer surface 10th asbest shown in FIG. 2.

The semi-rigid sheet of cardboard 6 when so folded is unsatisfactory foruse as a catalog cover in that the material from which the sheet 6 ismade is of insuflicient rigidity to satisfactorily protect sheets whichwould be placed therewithin. In addition, of course, it isunsatisfactory because no means for retaining such sheets has beenprovided. It is important to note however, that because of its textureand lack of rigidity this sheet may be made of a relatively inexpensivematerial which When Combined with my loose leaf page binder provides avery inexpensive but highly satisfactory catalog cover.

My loose leaf page binder Which is indicated generally by the numeral 12is also formed of semi-rigid material such as cardboard which is thinand shown in an elongated strip. This strip 13l is scored along a lineextending longitudinally of the strip at the point 14 to divide thestrip into a relatively narrow marginal minor portion 15 and arelatively wide major portion 16. 'Ilie minor portion 15 thereuponbecomes in the nature of a flap while the major portion 16 constitutes abase therefor.

A plurality of embossments 17 are formed in the strip 13 and are spacedlongitudinally thereof. For the sake of Simplicity a single embossmentis described and it Will be understood that each of the embossments areidentical in structure and therefore corresponding numerals have beenapplied thereto in the drawings. As best shown in the FIG. l theembossments are generally circular in configuration and form circularrecessesv18 in the major portion 16 of the strip. These recesses 18 areformed in the under surface of the major portion 16 and each is providedwith a centrally disposed opening 19 which is formed through the strip.

Disposed fwithin each of the recesses 18 and extending upwardly throughthe associated openings =19 is a flexible tubular member which has beenindicated generally Iby the numeral 20. These tubular members 20 arepreferably formed of |rubber or some similar flexible `resilientmaterial. Each of the .tubular members 20 is provided Iwith ia flat,thin, highly flexible base 21 and an upstanding tubular portion 22, theupper end of which is open. It will :be noted that the flat thin base isgenerally circular in configuration and is less than one half inthickness as compared to the thickness of the Wall structure of thetubular member 20. It |Will also :be noted that when the tubular member20 is applied to the strip 13 so that the tubular portion 22 extendsupwardly through the opening 19, the flat base 21 is substantiallyentirely received within the recess 18 of the embossnien-ts.

There is `also provided a plurality of headed members indicatedgenerally by the numeral 23 one each of Which is .received and|positively gr-ipped by the resilient tubular portion 22 of one of thetubular members 20. It will be noted that the headed members 23b is eachprovided With a head 24 from which a post member 25 extends downwardly.The post member 25 has its outer surface serrated as shown in FIG. 3.

After the tubular members have been inserted through the strip 13 theunder surface of the strip 13 is applied to the sheet 5 land adhered toit with a layer of adhesive 26. It Will be noted that the major portion16 of the strip 13 is applied -to the inner surface 10a of the backcover element immediately adjacent the back area 11 and that therelatively minor portion 15 or flap is applied to the back area 11. Themarginal portion 15 is of the same width as the Iback area 1-1 and ofthe same length so that the two elements are coextensive. V

I have found that when a binder member such :as descn'bed herein isapplied with adhesive to the inner surface of such a'she'et 6 in themanner'hereinbefore'described, the flap 15 cooperates With the back'area 11 to provide a n'gid back for the vcover and imparts thenecessary rigidity to the entire cover to satisfactorily meet the needsof the trade.V The looseV leaf sheets, of course, are 'applied to thetubular'mem'bersV 20 after the headed memv'bers 23 have been removedWith the tubular portions 22 extending .upwardlythrough the sheets.After the sheets have Vbeen applied to the tubularmembers 22 the headed-members 23. are replaced as shown i-n FIGS. 2 and 3 to -securely holdthese sheets in place.

One of the .advantages of'my invention is that the thin fflexi'ble basemember 21 imparts sufiicient flexibility to the upstanding tubularmembers 20 such that the sheets `which aresecured thereby :are lesslikely to be torn When subjected vto a slight pulling action by theuser. In such instances the highly flexi'ble Ibase 21 permits thetubular portion 22 to :bend with the strain. Such flexibility precludestearing of the sheets in many instances Where a completely rigid memberWouldV cause the sheets to be torn. Even the post members in my previousPatent No. 2,891,554 is not as satisfactory in this respect because the'base member there is relatively rigid and is of such thickness as topreclude any appreciable use. As a result pulling on a sheet which isheld by such a member vvill cause the sheet to tear quite readily.

, Another advantage of my invention, in addition to the fact that theback l11 is made rigid by the flap 15, is. the fact that the entirecatalog cover when constructed in accordance fwith my invention issubstantially cheaper than any heretofore -known and yet functions in ahighly satis-factory manner and meets the needs of .the trade. Inaddition such a catalog cover is much easier to assemble and eliminatesmuch of the inconvenience in-V V 24 inches by 36 inches. Such sheetshaving a thickness of 0.0125 each.

It Will, of course, be understood that various changes may fbe made inthe form, details, arrangement and pro- 4 portions of the parts withoutdeparting from the scope of this invention which consists of the mattershown and described herein and set forth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A catalog cover comprising a sheet made of thin cardrality oflongitu-dinally spaced preformed permanent embossrnents formed thereinand an opening formed through said strip and disposed centrally withinVeach ofV said' embossrnents, said embossments providingrecessed areasin the under surface of said strip, a plurality of flexible tubularmembers each having a flat thin flexible base, each of said tubularmembers having its flat flexi'ble Ibase fitted snugly within one of saidrecessed areas of said strip and having its tubular portion extendingupwardly through the associated said opening of said strip to lockeachtubular member in position, a plurality of headed members 'eachhaving a serrated post element which extends outwardly from its head andis received in positively gripped relation Within the tubular portion ofVone of the tubular members, and adhesive means between substantiallytheentire under surface of said strip and theinner surface of saidsheet'and fixedly Securing the same thereto, said adhesive meanssecuringsaid minor marginal portion of said strip directly to band alongthe back Varea of said sheet and cooperatively forming' therewith arigid back for the cover and Securing the major portion of said strip 'Valong the `inner surface of the back cover element adjacent said backarea with said tubular members upstanding and cooperatively forming aloose leaf catalog from which pages may be easily, quickly and readilyremoved or substituted'.

References Cited in the file of this patentw UNITED ,STATES PATENTs713,071 Danforth Nov. 1'1, 1902 V1,808,884 nucnand June 9, 19312,891,554 Foster Jan. 23,1959 1 FoREIGN PATI-:NTS

752,929 France July 3, 1933 791,018 Great Britain Feb. 19, 1958

